Ultra-Processed Foods lie at the heart of a global increase in a variety of chronic and fatal diseases from cancer to Type 2 Diabetes. The food industry has been pouring billions into convincing governments not to regulate these additives which make everything from baby food to burgers addictive, persuading customers to return for more. Rosie Boycott, a highly respected British publisher and journalist, has been studying the politics and science of food since she started farming two decades ago. In a revealing conversation with Eva Konzett and Misha Glenny, Boycott explains why Ultra-Processed Foods are so catastrophic for health and environment, about how the food industry borrowed its lobbying strategy from tobacco, and how we can change our eating habits for the planet is to survive.
Rosie Boycott is a member of the House of Lords and has a distinguished career as a journalist, publisher, and author. She served as the editor-in-chief of several British newspapers and co-founded the feminist magazine Spare Rib. Beyond her media career, Boycott is a well-known food activist, specialising in food and environmental politics and legislation. She was also chair of the London Food Board and advised the city's government on sustainable food policy.